Gate-latch



B. F. WRTGHT.

GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1919.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

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BENJAMIN r. WRIGHT, or roar BRANCH, INDIANA.

GATE-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Application filed March29, 1919. Serial No. 286,010.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Fort Branch, in the county of Gibson and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and Improved Gate-Latch, of which thefollowing isafull, clear, and exact description,

My invention relates to latches suitable for use upon gates and doors,my more particular purpose being to provide a latch which can be made upeasily and cheaply of metal bars and whichpossesses many advantages ofconstruction and operation.

More particularly stated I seek to provide a latch so constructed andarranged that when used upon a gate or door said gate or door may beraised up for a distance of several inches without interfering with thesecurity of the latch. This is particularly important in instances wherethe latch is used upon a gate and where cattle are in the habit ofslightly lifting the gate in an effort to open it. I

My invention has further advantages which are brought out below in thedetail description and which tend to improve the general efliciency ofthe device.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming part of thisspecification and in which like letters indicate like parts throughoutall the figures.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a gate provided with oneform of my improved latch.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of a pair of car doors equipped withanother form of my device.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 ofFig. 1 looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

A pair of gate posts are shown at 4: and 5 and between them is a gate 6supported on hinges 6 A staple 7 driven into the gate post 5 supports apad lock 9, the yoke 8 of this pad lockeXtending through the staple. Ahook 6 mounted upon the gate post 5 extends laterally therefrom and isused in connection with my latch as hereinafter described. A U-bar 10 ismounted rigidly upon. the gate 6 and is provided with an extendingportion 6 which projects through the yoke 8 on the lock 9 and preventsthe gate from being opened when the lock 9 is in active use. is mountedupon the U-bar 10 by means of bolts 12, these bolts engaging the gate 6diing portion 13*.

An arched plate 11 ed upon a pivot 1 1 and thus journaled upon the U-bar10. The latch is adapted for engagement with the hook 6 above mentionedand is provided with an upwardly extend- A cord 15 connected with theupper end of the latch 13 enables the latch to be operated, if desired,from a distance. A spring 16 is connected with the latch 13 and with anadjacent portion of the gate 6.

The latch 13 under control of the spring 16 tends to press tightly uponthe hook 6 and if the gate 6 be raised or lowered within reasonablelimits the tension -of the spring 16 still keeps the latch in engagementwith the hook 6 If, therefore, cattle place their nose under the ends ofgate 6 and raise it slightly they are unable to open the gate. Again ifthe gate sags considerably this does not interfere at all with theaction of the latch.

In the form of my device shown in Fig. 2 there are two car doors 17 and18 movable horizontally, the latch is shown at 19 and has a littledifferent shape from that appearing in Fig. 1. The hook 20 is secured tothe door 18 and has a form suitable to accommodate the embodiment ofthis door edgewise relatively to the door 17. The latch is provided withan upwardly extending portion 21, a hole 21 may, if desired, be providedthrough which the operator may extend a finger in order to engage theportion 21 of the latch and then actuate the latch from the oppositeside of the door. The spring is shown at 23 and is connected with thelatch 19 and with the door 17. With the exceptions just mentioned thestructure and action of the latch shown in Fig. 2 is the same as thatappearing in Fig. 1. In Fig. 3 the mechanism appearing in Fig. 1 isshown upon a somewhat larger scale.

While in the two instances here shown my latch is used for holding doorsand gates in a closed position, it will be readily understood that thedevice may be used equally well for holding the doors or gates in anopen position.

I do not limit myself to the precise use here contemplated for theinvention as it may be employed in various relations without departingfrom the spirit of my invention, neither do I limit myself to anypreeise materials to be used'in its-construction, the scope of myinvention being commensurate With my claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as neW'and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A device of the character described comprising a look, a support forsaid look, a gate disposed adjacent said support, a

U-bar mounted upon said gate and pro- .vided With an extended portlonior engaging sa1d look, a hook mounted upon said support, and a latchpivotally mounted upon said U-shape and extending from said gate inorder to engage sald hook.

2. A devlce of the character described comprising a gate post, a lockmounted thereupon, a gate disposed adjacent said gate post, a U-barmounted upon said gate and provided With an extending portion forengaging said look, a hook mounted upon said gate post, a latchpivotally mounted upon said U-bar and extending from said gate in orderto engage said hook, and a spring connected With said gate and with saidlatch.

BENJAMIN, F. WRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

